Ax handle protector



Jan. 6, 1942. z. H. ETTELsoN AX HANDLE PROTECTOR Filed Jan. 8, 1940 Till INVENTOR. ZARA H. ETrfLso/v. l BYY I i 4 frog/vers.

Patented Jan. 6, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AX HANDLE PROTECTOR Zara H. Ettelson, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Application January s, 1949, serial No. 312,979

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in an ax handle protector, and it consists of the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

'Ihe principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a protector adapted for preventing faulty blows from striking the ax handle.

It is proposed in this invention to provide a rubber sleeve or protector, which may be applied to an ax handle and thus protect the latter against direct blows.V The protector is adapted to absorb shocks when the handle receives blows due to the blade missing its stroke.

A further object resides in the provision of a protector of the character described, which may be easily applied to a conventional ax handle without requiring any alteration in the latter.

Other objects will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features of my invention will be set forth in the claims hereto appended.

For a better understanding of my invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which Figure l is a side elevation of an ax having my protector applied to the handle thereof; and

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In carrying my invention into practice, I make use of an ax head I having the conventional handle 2 secured thereto, as at 3, the handle having the usual hump or offset 4 adjacent the ax head. 'Ihis hump reinforces the handle adjacent the ax head and limits the endwise telescoping of the head relative to the handle.

A sleeve or protector 5, which is preferably made of rubber or composition, surrounds the handle in the manner illustrated. The protector has a thickened lower part forming a. buffer 6. It will be noted that the buffer is positioned to absorb blows, which otherwise would strike the handle due to the blade 1 missing its stroke.

The protector 5 corresponds in shape with the hump or offset 4 on the handle. This arrangement prevents the protector from slipping lengthwise on the handle. In order to anchor the sleeve more firmly to the handle, I provide a washer 8 which may be molded in the protector, and a screw 9 passes through the aperture in the washer and is threaded into the handle. The periphery of the washer may be serrated, as at IIJ, so as to retain the washer from turning when the screw is applied or removed.

The sleeve or protector 5 is slit lengthwise, as at I I, whereby the protector may be wrapped around the handle 2. The mating edges of the protector are cemented or otherwise suitably secured together as at I2, after the protector has been applied to the handle.

It will be noted from Figure 2 that the protector 5 is conlined Within the extended planes of the opposing faces I3 of the ax head. This construction allows the blade to freely pass through splits formed in the wood without any obstruction offered by the protector. The washer 8 and screw 9 are preferably arranged diametrically opposite the slit II.

If desired, the handle 2 may be formed with an annular groove I4 to receive a portion I5 of the material defining the bore I6. This will further aid in anchoring the protector against sliding lengthwise of the handle.

Particularly it should be noted that the buffer 6 is made of substantial thickness in order to prevent heavy blows from reaching the handle in the event that the blade misses the wood being chopped or split and the object striking the handle. The protector may be made in the form of a complete sleeve, if desired, and slipped over the end of the handle into final position.

I claim:

1. An ax handle protector comprising a resilient sleeve having a slit extending lengthwise thereof, whereby the sleeve may be wrapped around an ax handle or the like, and means for securing the mating edges of the sleeve together, the sleeve having a washer xed thereto in the side opposite the slit, the washer having an aperture therein extending to the interior of the sleeve, whereby a screw may be introduced through the aperture and anchored in the ax handle.

2. In combination, an ax head having a handle extending therefrom, and a rubber protecting sleeve surrounding the handle adjacent to the ax head, said sleeve having a thickened portion disposed on the underside of the handle for acting as a shock -absorber when that portion of the handle accidentally strikes an object.

3. In combination, an ax head having a handle extending therefrom, the handle having a hump on its upper part disposed near the head, and a rubber protecting sleeve surrounding the handle adjacent to. the ax head, said sleeve having a thickened portion disposed on the underside of the handle and constituting a buffer to absorb shocks where the buifer and not the ax blade accidentally strikes the object, said sleeve also having a cavity for snugly receiving the hump for preventing longitudinal as well as rotational movement of the sleeve with respect to the handle, whereby the buffer is held in proper position at all times on the underside of the handle.

ZARA H. ETTELSON. 

